[Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE,
and soldiers; with QUEEN MARGARET, OXFORD, and
SOMERSET, prisoners]
KING EDWARD IV: Now here a period of tumultuous broils.
Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight:
For Somerset, off with his guilty head.
Go, bear them hence; I will not hear them speak.
OXFORD: For my part, I'll not trouble thee with words.
SOMERSET: Nor I, but stoop with patience to my fortune.
[Exeunt Oxford and Somerset, guarded]
QUEEN MARGARET: So part we sadly in this troublous world,
To meet with joy in sweet Jerusalem.
KING EDWARD IV: Is proclamation made, that who finds Edward
Shall have a high reward, and he his life?
GLOUCESTER: It is: and lo, where youthful Edward comes!
[Enter soldiers, with PRINCE EDWARD]
KING EDWARD IV: Bring forth the gallant, let us hear him speak.
What! can so young a thorn begin to prick?
Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make
For bearing arms, for stirring up my subjects,
And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to?
PRINCE EDWARD: Speak like a subject, proud ambitious York!
Suppose that I am now my father's mouth;
Resign thy chair, and where I stand kneel thou,
Whilst I propose the selfsame words to thee,
Which traitor, thou wouldst have me answer to.
QUEEN MARGARET: Ah, that thy father had been so resolved!
GLOUCESTER: That you might still have worn the petticoat,
And ne'er have stol'n the breech from Lancaster.
PRINCE EDWARD: Let AEsop fable in a winter's night;
His currish riddles sort not with this place.
GLOUCESTER: By heaven, brat, I'll plague ye for that word.
QUEEN MARGARET: Ay, thou wast born to be a plague to men.
GLOUCESTER: For God's sake, take away this captive scold.
PRINCE EDWARD: Nay, take away this scolding crookback rather.
KING EDWARD IV: Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.
CLARENCE: Untutor'd lad, thou art too malapert.
PRINCE EDWARD: I know my duty; you are all undutiful:
Lascivious Edward, and thou perjured George,
And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all
I am your better, traitors as ye are:
And thou usurp'st my father's right and mine.
KING EDWARD IV: Take that, thou likeness of this railer here.
[Stabs him]
GLOUCESTER: Sprawl'st thou? take that, to end thy agony.
[Stabs him]
CLARENCE: And there's for twitting me with perjury.
[Stabs him]
QUEEN MARGARET: O, kill me too!
GLOUCESTER: Marry, and shall.
[Offers to kill her]
KING EDWARD IV: Hold, Richard, hold; for we have done too much.
GLOUCESTER: Why should she live, to fill the world with words?
KING EDWARD IV: What, doth she swoon? use means for her recovery.
GLOUCESTER: Clarence, excuse me to the king my brother;
I'll hence to London on a serious matter:
Ere ye come there, be sure to hear some news.
CLARENCE: What? what?
GLOUCESTER: The Tower, the Tower.
[Exit]
QUEEN MARGARET: O Ned, sweet Ned! speak to thy mother, boy!
Canst thou not speak? O traitors! murderers!
They that stabb'd Caesar shed no blood at all,
Did not offend, nor were not worthy blame,
If this foul deed were by to equal it:
He was a man; this, in respect, a child:
And men ne'er spend their fury on a child.
What's worse than murderer, that I may name it?
No, no, my heart will burst, and if I speak:
And I will speak, that so my heart may burst.
Butchers and villains! bloody cannibals!
How sweet a plant have you untimely cropp'd!
You have no children, butchers! if you had,
The thought of them would have stirr'd up remorse:
But if you ever chance to have a child,
Look in his youth to have him so cut off
As, deathmen, you have rid this sweet young prince!
KING EDWARD IV: Away with her; go, bear her hence perforce.
QUEEN MARGARET: Nay, never bear me hence, dispatch me here,
Here sheathe thy sword, I'll pardon thee my death:
What, wilt thou not? then, Clarence, do it thou.
CLARENCE: By heaven, I will not do thee so much ease.
QUEEN MARGARET: Good Clarence, do; sweet Clarence, do thou do it.
CLARENCE: Didst thou not hear me swear I would not do it?
QUEEN MARGARET: Ay, but thou usest to forswear thyself:
'Twas sin before, but now 'tis charity.
What, wilt thou not? Where is that devil's butcher,
Hard-favour'd Richard? Richard, where art thou?
Thou art not here: murder is thy alms-deed;
Petitioners for blood thou ne'er put'st back.
KING EDWARD IV: Away, I say; I charge ye, bear her hence.
QUEEN MARGARET: So come to you and yours, as to this Prince!
[Exit, led out forcibly]
KING EDWARD IV: Where's Richard gone?
CLARENCE: To London, all in post; and, as I guess,
To make a bloody supper in the Tower.
KING EDWARD IV: He's sudden, if a thing comes in his head.
Now march we hence: discharge the common sort
With pay and thanks, and let's away to London
And see our gentle queen how well she fares:
By this, I hope, she hath a son for me.
[Exeunt]
3 KING HENRY VI

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